The incorporation of major amounts of builders in liquid detergent compositions poses a significant formulating challenge since the presence of major amounts of builder inevitably causes the detergent composition to phase separate. Builders such as sodium citrate, citric acid, sodium carbonate, and/or alkali metal silicates can only be incorporated in minor amounts in liquid detergent compositions, such amounts being typically below the concentration levels that would cause separation of the surfactant phase. Liquid detergent formulations that contain builders thus require careful control of the surfactant to builder ratio so as to prevent "salting-out" of the surfactant phase. The literature is replete with examples of such compositions.
Montague, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,576, relates to detergent compositions that comprise a relatively high amount of detergent active matter and further allow the incorporation of builders and suspension of particulate solids. Such compositions are prepared by adding an electrolyte/builder to the surfactant rich aqueous phase so as to result in a structure of lamellar droplets dispersed in the continuous aqueous phase. These compositions also require the incorporation of a minor amount of a "deflocculating polymer" in the detergent composition. The deflocculating polymer, according to this reference, is required to comprise of a hydrophilic backbone with at least one hydrophobic side chain. The preparation of such polymers are accomplished by copolymerizing hydrophilic monomers with a hydrophobic monomer. The hydrophobic monomer contains a hydrophobic side chain. The polymerization of the hydrophilic monomer and the hydrophobic monomer is conducted in a cosolvent, which is typically water and another solvent in which the hydrophobic monomer is soluble.